BOISE CITY / ADA COUNTY
HOUSING AUTHORITIES

 EMPLOYEE
HANDBOOK

1001 S Orchard Street
Boise, Idaho  83705

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SCOPE OF HANDBOOK

Welcome to Boise City/Ada County Housing Authority!  We are pleased to have you on our team.  We hope your employment here will be a source of great personal and professional satisfaction.  As an employee of the BC/AC Housing Authority, you are part of a team of dedicated and conscientious professionals working for the long-term housing solutions for the residents of Boise and Ada County.

Please spend the time necessary to review and understand this Handbook.  It should be kept throughout your employment.  It sets out the basic guidelines for those of us working here in the BC/AC Housing Authority regarding the personnel policies and procedures.  The handbook is intended to reduce any confusion which may arise from unwritten or inconsistent policies, and it supersedes any previous policies or manuals.  It may not, however, answer all of your questions.  It is impossible for any handbook to cover all events or circumstances which could arise.  If you need additional information, talk to your supervisor, The Assistant Director for Administrative Services or the Executive Director.  We will keep you advised of changes in policies or the Employee Handbook through notices on the bulletin board, employee meetings and when applicable through issuance of revised pages of the Handbook.

This handbook applies to all employees of BC/AC Housing Authority, regardless of position or date of hire, except where noted otherwise.  However, if there is any conflict between the provisions of this Handbook and any State or Federal requirements, the inconsistent State or Federal requirements will control.

Here at BC/AC Housing Authority, we believe the employment relationship is voluntary.  That is, either you or the Housing Authority has the right to end the employment relationship at any time and for any reason.  Unless there is a written agreement to the contrary, all employees of BC/AC Housing Authority are employed at-will.  Any attempt to verbally modify the at-will relationship will not be recognized by the BC/AC Housing Authority, and thus, is to be regarded as null and void.

EMPLOYMENT

Here are some basics about your job with the BC/AC Housing Authority.

Employment and Classification

At the BC/AC Housing Authority, we want you to understand how your wages, benefits and job duties are affected by your employee classification and your job description or title.  The Housing Authority has a classification system that groups positions for compensation purposes based on knowledge, complexity, accountability and working conditions.  Pay ranges are set based on external salary surveys and on the advice of professional consultants.  More information about the classification system is available from the Assistant Director for Administrative Services or the Executive Director.

The following are the main employee categories which are used throughout this Handbook.

Introductory Employee:  A full-time employee who has worked less than six consecutive months, either as a new BC/AC Housing Authority employee or in a new position within the Housing Authority.  The introductory period for part-time employees is 1,040 hours.

Regular Employee:  An employee who has successfully completed the Introductory Period.

FullTime Employee:  An employee who is hired to work a predetermined schedule of at least 40 hours per week.

PartTime Employee: An employee who is hired to work a predetermined schedule of less than 40 hours per week.

Project-Specific Employee:  An employee who works in a particular job for an interim period of time or for the duration of a project.  Project-specific employees may not work for BC/AC Housing Authority in excess of 1385 hours during a 12 month period unless they are reclassified to a full-time or part-time position.

Non-exempt Employee:  An employee who is not exempt from the minimum wage, overtime, and timecard provisions of the wage and hour laws.  Such employees may receive an hourly wage or a salary, and are eligible for overtime pay at the rate of one and onehalf times the regular rate of pay for all hours worked in excess of 40 hours in the work week.  Compensatory time is time off to compensate for extra time worked, or in the case of a Maintenance Department employee, for extra time on call, (see Emergency Designation section).  Compensatory time is accrued at the rate of time and a half and needs to be taken with advance written supervisory approval.  Compensatory time should be exhausted prior to utilization of vacation time.

Exempt Employee:  An employee who is exempt from the minimum wage, overtime and timecard provisions of the wage and hour laws.  Exempt employees include supervisory, administrative, and professional employees who are paid on a salary basis.  When employees are hired, they will be informed of exempt status.

The Introductory Period

Everyone needs time in a new job to adjust to a new workplace and/or new responsibilities.  The first six months of employment, or in a new position, are considered the Introductory Period for all full-time employees.  For part-time employees, it is the first 1,040 hours worked.  During this period, you will be assessing your job duties, the standards we expect you to meet, and your ability to meet them.  Your supervisor will be going through the same process.  It is important that you and your supervisor discuss performance expectations early in this sixmonth period, so that you will have the best opportunity for a successful career at BC/AC Housing Authority.

Your performance may be reviewed after three months and near the end of the probationary period to determine whether you will continue as a regular employee.

Hours of Work

Everyone benefits from clarity regarding hours of work and scheduling.  The following information may be helpful:

Work Week:  For payroll and accounting purposes, the BC/AC Housing Authority work week begins at 12:01 a.m. Monday, and ends at midnight on Sunday.

Work Day:  The normal work day consists of eight hours plus a meal period.  Some employees or positions may have different work days determined by the needs of the Housing Authority.  Boise City/Ada County Housing Authority has a flexible work schedule that depending on the department, may allow options within the 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. time-frame.

Scheduling:  Work schedules are established by management.  Unless otherwise scheduled, all employees are expected to work Monday through Friday.  Requests for changes in schedules or for particular days off should be made in writing in a timely fashion and approved in advance by your supervisor.  Some variation in schedule may be granted by mutual agreement between you and BC/AC Housing Authority, so long as the needs of the Housing Authority are met.

Rest Periods:  All non-exempt employees receive one 15 minute break for each four hours of working time.  The break should occur near the midpoint of each four-hour work period, but scheduling will be done by your supervisor.  Break periods are paid, but are not to be used to extend a lunch period or to leave early.

Meal Periods:  If you are non-exempt and you work more than five hours in a day, you will have a meal break two to five hours into your shift.  The normal meal break is a 60minute unpaid period, usually near the mid-point of your shift.  The exact time of your meal break will be scheduled by your supervisor to ensure appropriate coverage.

Overtime:  The regular work week is 40 working hours for most employees, but on certain occasions, some overtime may be required.  Any overtime work must be authorized in writing by a supervisor in advance.

Emergency Designation

In the Maintenance Department it is necessary to designate an employee to be available to report to work in the event of an emergency.  The designation will be rotated on a weekly basis.

A designated employee must be available either by telephone or by means of a radio/pager device, must be able to report to the worksite within a reasonable period of time, and must be unimpaired by drugs or alcohol during the designated period.  The employee is otherwise free to use the designated time for his/her own purposes.

A designated employee who fails to respond to an emergency situation within a reasonable time may be subject to disciplinary action up to and including discharge.

If a designated employee is called in to work during the designated shift, s/he will be paid for the hours actually worked.  When a designated employee is not being called in to work, s/he will be credited with 1 hour of compensatory time for every 32 hours of designated time.

If the designated employee is called in during a holiday week, the holiday pay will count as hours worked in determining the eligibility for overtime pay.

If the emergency is sufficiently severe that other non-designated employees are called in to work, the non-designated employees will receive a minimum amount of compensation regardless of the number of hours actually worked:

• Non-designated employees called in between 6:00 a.m. and midnight will receive a minimum of 2 hours of pay.
• Non-designated employees called in between midnight and 6:00 a.m. will receive a minimum of 3 hours of pay.

 Attendance

You are a member of a team and each member has an important contribution to make.  Timely performance of your job is essential to maintaining the high quality service the Housing Authority provides.  It also shows your respect for your fellow employees who must assume your duties in your absence.  You must report to work regularly and on time, in proper attire, with proper equipment, and ready to work.  If you will be unable to report for work, will be late, or need to leave early, notify your supervisor as far in advance as possible.  If your supervisor is not available, notify another supervisor, the Assistant Director for Administrative Services or the Executive Director.  Always provide a reason for the absence, tardiness or early departure, and, if possible, an estimate of how long your absence or tardiness will be.

An employee who is absent without notification for three consecutive days or shifts will be considered to have abandoned his/her position and may be terminated.

Performance Reviews

Regular performance reviews benefit you and BC/AC Housing Authority by providing a written record of your performance and giving you the opportunity to discuss with your supervisor how well you are meeting the Housing Authority’s expectations, to clarify your job responsibilities, to set mutually agreed-upon goals and to explore your possibilities for advancement within the Housing Authority.

Performance reviews may be conducted quarterly for the first six months of employment or assignment to a new position, and annually after that.  Your performance review is part of your personnel records.  You will be given an opportunity for written comment on your performance review.  Because your performance on the job affects your compensation and employment, your performance review deserves your active and constructive participation.  You will be asked to sign your performance review to document that you have read it and that you have had an opportunity to comment.  Your signature does not imply agreement or disagreement with the evaluation.  You will receive a copy of your review for your own records.

Project-Specific employees do not receive formal performance reviews, but they are still to be coached about work expectations and performance.

Employee Parking

At BC/AC Housing Authority, parking is limited, and is available on a first come, first served basis.

Personnel Records & Files

BC/AC Housing Authority takes seriously its job of maintaining accurate, confidential personnel records.  We need your help.

Although the Housing Authority is required to comply with valid court orders and government requests directing us to provide information from your personnel records, generally speaking, without specific written authorization from you, only the following will be released to anyone outside the employ of the Housing Authority:  job title, department, hire date, separation date and base salary.

When you move, change your telephone number or experience other changes in your personal information, please make sure you inform the Administrative Assistant to the Executive Director of such changes immediately.  In this way, your personnel records will remain accurate and up to date. This information will be shared with the Payroll Department.

At your request, you may receive a copy of any item placed in your personnel file.  However, should you wish to review your personnel records, you may do so at any mutually convenient time during normal business hours.  You must first make an appointment with the Assistant Director for Administrative Services so that a specific time may be scheduled.  The Assistant Director for Administrative Services or a supervisory member will be present during any such review.  You may not remove any item(s) from your file, but you may include a personal memorandum in your file if you feel it is necessary to clarify file information.

Employment of Relatives

BC/AC Housing Authority believes that it is in the best interests of the Housing Authority and the employees to keep business and professional relationships separate from personal and family relationships.  Accordingly, the Housing Authority generally will not employ family members or two individuals living together in the same household in positions where:

• one relative would supervise or audit the work of the other, directly or indirectly;
• both relatives would have the same immediate supervisor; or
• other circumstances exist that, in the judgment of Housing Authority management would create a situation of actual or foreseeable conflict of interest.

Family member includes the employee’s spouse, siblings, parents, children (natural, adopted, step, or foster), grandparents, grandchildren, nieces, nephews or in-laws.

BC/AC Housing Authority may also refuse to employ close relatives of Commissioners or other high level employees of our suppliers or others with whom the Housing Authority deals where such a restriction is necessary to avoid the actuality or appearance of conflict of interest, or to protect confidential information.

Should one of the above situations occur, the Housing Authority will allow either of the employees to transfer to a vacant position for which s/he is qualified.  If no suitable position is available, it may be necessary for the employee causing the conflict to resign.  Individuals working on a project-specific assignment for a short period of time are exempt from this policy provided that prior approval is obtained from the Executive Director.

Veterans Preference

Procedures concerning honorably discharged veterans of any war will conform with Title 65, Chapter 5, Idaho Code, providing that equal preference be awarded such veterans as exists under Federal Civil Service Statutes.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Boise City/Ada County Housing Authority is an Equal Opportunity Employer.  All employees have the right to work in a discrimination-free environment.  The Housing Authority will not permit or condone any unlawful discrimination in the workplace.  All employment decisions will be made without regard to race, color, sex, creed, religion, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other basis prohibited by local, state or federal laws.  Anyone with a protected disability will be reasonably accommodated as appropriate.

If you experience or witness conduct that you feel is discriminatory, please raise the matter for discussion and review so that the Housing Authority can investigate and take appropriate action.  You are encouraged to approach your supervisor, the Assistant Director for Administrative Services or the Executive Director, as you feel necessary, or you may certainly raise it as a matter of concern under our Employee Concern System, described later in this Handbook.

Sexual Harassment

BC/AC Housing Authority prohibits sexual harassment of its employees by other employees or outside parties.  Sexual harassment negatively affects morale, motivation, and job performance.  It is inappropriate, offensive, and illegal and will not be tolerated.

“Sexual Harassment” means unwelcome sexual advances, requests for favors, and other offensive verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when:  (a) submission to such conduct is made either explicitly, or implicitly, a term or condition of an individual’s employment; (b) submission to, or rejection of, such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for employment decisions affecting such individual; or (c) such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment.

Sexual harassment includes unwelcome verbal behavior such as comments, suggestions, jokes or derogatory remarks based on sex; physical behavior such as pats, squeezes, repeatedly brushing against someone’s body, or impeding or blocking normal work or movements; visual harassment such as posting of sexually suggestive or derogatory pictures, cartoons or drawings, even at one’s work station.  It also includes unwanted sexual advances, pressure for sexual favors and/or basing employment decision (such as an employee’s performance evaluations, work assignments, or advancement) upon the employee’s acquiescence to sexually harassing behavior in the workplace.

No employee shall be subjected to unwelcome verbal or physical advances or any other on the job conduct which could be interpreted as harassment.  This protection against harassment includes conduct by co-workers, managers, vendors, guests or clients.

What You Should Do

If you at any time feel that you are being harassed, please confront the harasser and ask that the conduct stop.  If you are uncomfortable doing this, or the conduct does not stop, bring this to the attention of your supervisor, the Assistant Director for Administrative Services or the Executive Director immediately.  If you ever feel you have witnessed harassment of others you should also bring it to the attention of any supervisor or the Executive Director.

What The Housing Authority Will Do

The Housing Authority will investigate the matter as discreetly as possible and inform you of the results of the investigation.  If the investigation shows that the accused employee did engage in harassment, the Housing Authority will take appropriate disciplinary action, up to and including discharge.  There will be no reprisal or retaliation for raising harassment concerns.  Sexual harassment is improper conduct and it will not be tolerated at BC/AC Housing Authority.

Workplace Harassment

Workplace harassment based on an employee’s race, religion, age or other protected status is a form of discriminatory behavior.  It negatively affects morale, motivation and job performance and may result in increased absenteeism, turnover, inefficiency and loss of productivity.  It will not be permitted at BC/AC Housing Authority.

Harassment can take many forms, and can include unwelcome slurs, comments, jokes, innuendos, compliments, pictures, cartoons, pranks and/or other verbal or physical conduct which create an intimidating, hostile or offensive working environment or interfere with an individual’s work performance or employment opportunities.

No employee shall be subjected to unwelcome verbal or physical advances or any other onthejob conduct which could be interpreted as harassment.  This protection against harassment includes conduct by co-workers, managers, vendors, guests or clients.

What You Should Do

If you at any time feel that you are being harassed, please confront the harasser and ask that the conduct stop.  If you are uncomfortable doing this, or the conduct does not stop, bring this to the attention of any supervisor, the Assistant Director for Administrative Services or the Executive Director immediately.  If you ever feel you have witnessed harassment of others you should also bring it to the attention of any supervisor or the Executive Director.

What The Housing Authority Will Do

The Housing Authority will investigate the matter as discreetly as possible and inform you of the results of the investigation.  If the investigation shows that the accused employee did engage in harassment, the Housing Authority will take appropriate disciplinary action, up to and including discharge.  There will be no reprisal or retaliation for raising harassment concerns.  Workplace harassment is improper conduct and it will not be tolerated at BC/AC Housing Authority.

Employee Handbook – Continue to Section 2

Current Issue Date: June, 2005
Replaces Issue Date: January, 1997